Fiber and DSL are the types of wired broadband connections a user can choose. As the internet has evolved over the years, data connectivity demand has increased. Data connectivity has increased greatly and people rely heavily on their home wired broadband connection to get reliable internet at high speed. Fiber internet connections deliver faster download and upload speeds than DSL.
Let's take a look at both and decide which is good for the connection.
DSL
DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line, users get a high-speed bandwidth connection where the data is transferred via telephone lines. DSL uses copper phone lines to transmit data. It works within the frequencies that the telephone doesn’t so you can use the Internet while making phone calls. It has 90% coverage nationwide. DSL has high latency and lower bandwidth and its speed vary depending on your distance from the provider's local office.
Fiber
Fiber uses ultra-thin glass strands that carry light instead of electricity. Fiber optics refers to the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along with a glass or plastic strand or fiber. Fiber optics is used long-distance and high-performance data networking. It has 25% coverage nationwide. The internet speeds not affected by distance from ISP and known as a reliable and future-proof technology.
DSL vs. Fiber
Signal Speed and Strength
DSL- DSL uses copper phone lines to transmit data, which is the reason for weaker signal the farther it gets from the source. DSL passes download speeds in the 25–500 Mbps range and upload speeds are much lower, in the 5–30 Mbps range.
Fiber- Fiber uses ultra-thin glass strands that carry light instead of electricity. The signal keeps its strength across long distances, Fiber may be priced a bit higher, but the service is more reliable, the connection can see gigabit speeds 100 times faster than DSL.
Bandwidth
DSL- The internet can be slower or faster depending on how much bandwidth the people who live near you are using. It does not have any dedicated line.
Fiber- There is lots of lanes on the fiber highway, and plenty of bandwidth to go around, so there is no need to worry about your neighbours slowing down your connection.
Accessibility
DSL- DSL runs over regular phone lines and does not need to invest in lots of infrastructures, which makes it economical. Pre-existing infrastructure and affordability are the reason behind; DSL is still considered an essential technology for providing broadband access to rural communities that have a very slow internet connection.
Fiber- Fiber costs more than DSL because it demands to invest in new infrastructure like underground fiber-carrying cables to build out fiber networks. As a result, fiber is only available in certain parts of the country, but it is becoming more accessible each year.
Final Words
In urban areas, DSL may be faster due to using "Fiber to the Node" infrastructure to reduce the distance of the low-bandwidth copper telephone line which is used to connect carrier fiber lines to customer homes. Check for DSL Speed Test at https://testmyinternetspeed.org/. DSL is best for rural customers who otherwise are stuck with satellite internet. Fiber is the best option for heavy internet users, especially for gamers or those who plan to stream videos on multiple devices simultaneously.
If you use the internet connection mainly to browse and check the Emails then you can go with the DSL connection. It can prove a best and affordable option for you with DSL test. But if you upload your videos on the internet, play video games and fan of movie streaming and other high efficient activities, then you should choose fiber connection. If it is available then it could be a better option, DSL is not a suitable fit for you.
